Apparatus for cleaning cotton



Jan. 2, i951 .1. A. s'rREUN (A 2,536,781

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON Filed Nov. 11a, 1948 ATTO R N EY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 APPARATUS ron CLEANING COTTON John A. Streun, Sherman, Tex., assigner to Hardwieke-Etter Company, Sherman, Tex., a corporation of Texas Application November 12, 1948, Serial No. 59,457

6 Claims. (Cl. 19- 58) The present invention relates to apparatus for removing motes from lint which has been ginned fromseed cotton. The object of the invention is to provide a more effective means for separating motes and hard particles of trash from the teeth of the cylinder which carries the lint toward the lint duct, comprising a mote discharge suction conduit having an entrant opening presented toward the periphery of the cylinder which carries the lint, a rotating brush in said entrant opening having rows of bristles which dene mote receiving pockets therebetween, the bristles being arranged to move past the cylinder in substantial contact therewith. the spacing of the bristles being such as to permit a relatively mild draft to pass through the brush to draw motes into its pockets, the motes being withdrawn by suction from these pockets when the latter are rotated through and directed toward the open end of said conduit.

A novel mote removing means and its associated parts are shown as included in apparatus of the type described in my copending application, Serial No. 20,571, led April 12, 1948. The mote removing brush of the apparatus of the copending application is substituted in the present machine for the mote removing wheel W of the copending application. It will be understood that in the particular use of the invention described herein, all of the other apparatus described in the copending application 'would be employed, and the disclosure of the copending application is therefore incorporated herein by reference, it being unnecessary to repeat the description, except insofar as to disclose the manner' in which the mote removing brush of the present application functions in substitution for the mote removing wheel W of the copending application. With respect to apparatus Of the character described in the copending application, it may be said that the mote removing brush of the present application functions in the same manner and performs in a controlled manner by reason of the same adjustments, as described in detail in the Said copending application, except that the apparatus for this particular purpose,

-as described herein, performs in a manner constituting an improvement of the similar apparatus described in the copending application.

In the drawings:

, Figure 1 is a partial vertical sectional vieW through a gin Stand of the type described in the said copending application, showing the arrangement of the mote removing brush and mote discharging suction conduit with relation to the gin saws. This View is substantially identical with Figure 3 of the said copending application except that the mote discharging brush is substituted for the mote discharging wheel W of that copending application.

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal sectional view through the mote discharging brush of the present invention.

It will be understood that in the particular apparatus illustrated in the drawings, the solution of the problems discussed in detail in the said copending application are contemplated, as well as the objectives of the apparatus described in said application, and they need not be repeated herein.

Referring to Figure 1, a now well-known cotton gin is disclosed, including a roll box I0 and a plurality of closely spaced ginning saws I2 mounted on a shaft I4, the saws passing through spaced ginning ribs It carried by the frame. It will be understood that the shaft I4 and the saws `l2 constitute a cylinder having a plurality of closely spaced teeth on its periphery, said teeth being adapted `to engage the lint and carry same around the periphery of the` cylinder toward suitable lint discharging means.

The lint is removed from the saws by a conventional air blast or jet I8 through which air is delivered under pressure tangentially of the saws, it being understood that the saws rotate `at high speed in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1. The air under pressure for removing the lint comes from a blower, or the like, which delivers air from a large chamber 2li through the passage 22. The lint is carried from the saws by suction applied through the lint duct 24.

It will. be understood that the blast of air through the nozzle I8 creates a down-draft which normally tends to draw motes thrown from the saws into the lint duct 24. As the saws I2 rotate at high speed, they pass through the ribs I6, and motes are discharged by centrifugal force from the saws adjacent the upper edges thereof approximately in the top moting zone indicated by the arrow leading from the numeral 26.

As described in the said copending application, by suitable associated mechanisms including a blower, suction is created in a trunk 28 and this suction acts through a mote discharging conduit C which extends upwardly from the pipe,28 in the gin stand to entrain the motes and trash which are discharged from the gin saws I2. As illustrated in the said copending application, the opposite ends of the trunk '2t are closed by adjustable shutter caps so that said ends can be entirely closed, or can be opened in regulated degrees to adjust the amount oi air drawn into the trunk through these ends and thus to regulate the suction in the conduit C. It will be understood that the mote discharging conduit C extends throughout the entire length of each gin stand between its end walls, and the trunk 28 is open as at 38 to the conduit C throughout the length of the gin stand.

The conduit C has a lower portion formed by plates 38 connected with the trunk 28. These plates are connected in any suitable way as by flanges and bolts 40 with adjustable upper plates 42 and 44. The plate 42 terminates in a curved section 45 `which forms the bottom wall of the entrant end of the conduit C, while the plate 44 has a curved top plate or door 48 hinged `thereto as at G. The curved plate or door 48 forms the top wall of the entrant end of the conduit C, and is adjustable in a manner hereinafter described.

Located in the entrant end of the conduit C and extending throughout the length of the gin is a mote removing brush B. This brush may comprise an octagonal wooden frame '51 with a plurality of axially arranged rows of bristles 52 eX- tending radially therefrom. The bristles may be made of vegetable ber, wire or the like, and they may be held or stapled in the frame vin any suitable manner. The radial spacing of the rows of bristles provides mote receiving pockets P therebetween, as is best illustrated in liigure 1. It will be understood that the brush B rotates in the same direction as the saws l2, whereby the ends of the bristles and the teeth of the saws will sweep past one another in opposite directions at their point of ltangency to facilitate combing the lint on the `Saws and removing the motes from the lint. It will be understood that the brush B .eXtends throughout the length of the gin stand, yand forms a blockade entirely across the entrant end of the conduit C. The brush is mounted for rotation on an individual shaft `56 which passes through the gin, and this shaft is adjustable in a manner hereinafter described.

The seed cotton is placed in the roll box Il) and is acted on by the saws I2, the latter forming a cylinder having a multitude of closely spaced teeth thereon, which revolves at high speed in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in Figure l and at a speed approximately that mentioned in my said copending application. The saws pass through the ginnrlg ribs l which are spaced between the saws in a grate-like manner, as described in my said .depending application. The saw teeth strip the lint from the seeds, and this lint clings to the teeth until it is removed therefrom by the nozzle i8, the lint passing into the lint flue 24. As the saw cylinder revolves, motes as Well as hard ends of seed and trash, and other detritus, are thrown outwardly therefrom by centrifugal force against the brush B. At the same time, the action of the brush B is to beat or comb the lint and induce the removal of the motes and the like therefrom. The action of the jet la or the induced suction in the lint flue Z4 tends to draw thernotes downwardly, but this tendency is counteracted by the suction from the conduit C acting through the brush B. While there is a relatively strong suction toward the conduit C above the brush B, depending on the adjustment of the door 48, there is a relatively mild suction or draft through the brush just above the :curved plate 46 in the Zone indi'- cated by the numeral 53 which ismore immediately effective to resist the downward suction from the lint ilue 24 and thus the motes are positively drawn into the pockets between the rows of bristles on the brush B. The brush B is power driven as will be clear from the said copending application, and rotates in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1, the pockets between the rows of bristles receiving the motes, as previously stated, and boosting them upward and over into the conduit C. The brush is adjusted so that the ends of the bristles will move outwardly along and in contact with the curved plate 46, and in normal operation, the top wall or `door 48 of the conduit may be adjusted to spaced relation with respect to the ends of the bristles, so that the suction will be more intense at the top of the brush, although as stated, there will .be mild suction through the brush at the bottom thereof of sufcient intensity to draw the motes into the pockets of the brush.

The end of the door 48 is provided with adjustable screwsy Sii which can be lengthened or shortened in their protrusion from the forward face of an angular extension 62 on the door for the purpose of adjusting the position of the top Wall of the entrant end of the conduit C with respect to the ends of the bristles of the brush B. The ends of the screws 60 are positioned to engage the surface of yan angle member 64 on the frame for the above purposes.

The front plates 42 and 48 of Athe upper portion of the conduit C are provided at their o-pposite ends with respective attaching brackets 66. These brackets are provided with slots as shown,

Y and suitable cap screws are used to adjustably attach the plates to the end walls of the frame of the gin stand. The brackets can be adjusted so as to move the curved `4plate 46 from and toward the periphery of the saws. Similarly, the opposite wall 44 of the conduit has end brackets IG provided with slots 12 and associated cap screws, whereby this wall may be adjusted from and toward .the saw teeth, with the wall 42. The shaft 56 which carries the 'brush B is likewise adjustable from and toward the saws, as .described in my said copending application, elongated slots 'i6 being provided in the end walls of the frame to permit limited shifting movements of the ends of the shaft 56 which are supported in these walls. It will be understood that the brush B is adjusted from and toward the walls with that portion of the discharge conduit C which is defined by the walls 42, 44, 45 and 48. The adjustable top wall 48 or door, because it is hinged, may be opened to the dotted line position shown in Figure l for access to the part as described.

By means of the screws 68, the door can be adjusted between .a position where it contacts the ends of the bristles of the brush B to a position where it is somewhat widely spaced from the ends of said bristles. The various parts referred to are driven in any conventional means, as described in my said copending application. l

In operation, suction is applied to the mote removing conduit C by an appropriate fan at the time the ginning operation commences. This suction is applied through the conduit C to the. space above the brush B at an intensity depending upon the adjustment of the door 48 with respect to the wheel. The suction likewise takes eiect to `a more limited extent through the zone above the curved plate 46, to thus positively attract motes into the pockets between the bristles. As. the ginning continues, the saws throw motes and trash into the pockets'- of the brush B andl the rotation of this brush at proper speed and in the clockwise direction shown delivers the motes into the discharge conduit C from which they are carried through the trunk 28 to a point of disposal outside of the gin house. In the case of clean, early cotton, the top door may be adjusted so that it is in substantial contact with the ends of the bristles on the brush B. vWhen it is necessary to accelerate the moting action, the door 48 is adjusted outwardly from the periphery of the brush B by the screws 60, whereby a relatively more intense suction is applied in the moting zone ,2t from above the brush B. Thus, the movement of the motes is assisted by suction applied from the direction toward which the motes are normally moving as discharged by centrifugal force from the 'saws, this suction counteracting the tendency of the motes to drop under the iniiuence of the air blast I8.

.If the cotton is quite trashy, it may be found desirable to adjust the brush B toward the saws, perhaps to such an extent that the bristles of the brush extend slightly into the saw, thus giving a combing actionl to the cotton on the saw, land removing trash as well as straightening out the vfibers on the saw. The bristles act as a whipping board AtoV loosen the trash and motes from the lint. Fluffy pads of cotton clinging to the saws are thus freed from motes and trash and from hard premature lumps of inferior lint as well as sticks, shale and other impurities. The required regulation is accomplished by bodily adjusting the entrant end of the conduit C comprising the plates 42, 44, 46 and the door 48, as well as the brush By with respect to the saws, in the manner previously described.

v The adjustments described may be made as necessary during the ginning season and as governed bythe condition of the Vseed cotton. When the door 48 is adjusted rto provide intense suction from the conduit C, this suction is applied high up in the interior of the gin stand and directly in the path of the motes discharged from the saws. The curved door 48 guides the motes toward the rotating brush, and the suction may be more intense near the upper path of the bristles depending on the adjustments previously referred to. Depending on the position of the brush B, it acts in a controlled manner to beat and comb the motes from the saws and to convey these motes to the conduit C.

The brush B in effect constitutes an adjustable valve regulating the most intense action of the suction from the conduit C, providing, when properly adjusted for this purpose, a relatively narrow opening for intense suction adjacent the top wall et. The continuous movement of the brush prevents any accumulation in or clogging of the restricted opening, and the bristles on the brush are thoroughly cleaned by a relatively intense rush of air through them toward the conduit C as they enter that conduit. It will be understood that this intense rush of air will be across the upper ends of the bristles, as well as through the bristles to facilitate the cleaning action. When a pocket filled with motes passes over into the conduit C, the action of the suction from the latter serves to directly remove the motes from the pockets.

The operation just described serves not only to greatly increase the amount of motes removed from the lint but also yields a cleaner sample of lint with the dark dust removed therefrom. .As stated, the various moving parts may be ad- Sil 6 vjusted and rotated at speeds as described in my copending application referred to. 'i

It will be understood that the action described is much superior to that of prior patents using brushes associated with rotating saw cylinders or the like, for the suction applied through the bristles prevents lint from sticking to the brush, thus precluding the brush from becoming clogged. For this reason, the combing action of the bristles on the lint on the saws, continues to be effective throughout prolonged operation of the machine.

While I have found an adjustment wherein the bristles of the brush enter between the teeth of theA saw cylinder to a limited extent, to be ef fective, desirable results may be obtained under some circumstances if the brush is `adjusted to utility in association with the other cylinders with teeth thereon, as employed in this art.

I claim: Y

l. A cotton gin comprising a frame, a ginning' assembly comprising a plurality of gin saws mounted for rotation in said frame and associated ginning ribs therefor, means on the discharge side of said ribs adjacent the periphery of said saws for removing lint therefrom and for delivering same into a lint duct leading from the* gin, said means being operable to create acurrent of air in a direction away from 'said saws to facilitate the removal of the lint therefrom, a mote discharge conduit having an entrant opening positioned adjacent the periphery of said saws between said ribs and said lint removing means, means for applying suction to said conduit to move the motes therethrough, said entrant opening being positioned to cause the suction applied to said conduit to counteract the eiect of the air current created by said lint removing means on motes discharged from said saws, a mote discharging brush substantially in the said conduit for delivering into said conduit the motes drawn from said saws, said brush cornprising a shaft mounted for rotation on said frame and a plurality of spaced axially arranged rows of bristles extending radially from said shaft substantially into contact with the peripheral edges of said saws, said rows of bristles defining mote receiving pockets therebetween, said brush being positioned to substantially lill the entrant opening of said conduit but havingits bristles so spaced as to permit a relatively mild suction through the brush to attract the :motes into said pockets, and means for rotating said shaft.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein said mote discharging brush is adjustable from and toward said saws to regulate the intensity of its mote removing action on the lint on said saws.

3. Apparatus for cleaning cotton comprising a housing having an inlet for the cotton to be cleaned and a lint duct for the cleaned lint leading therefrom, a saw cylinder mounted for rotation in said housing having teeth on its periphery which carry the lint toward said, lint duct, means aisee-7.81

`for .augmenting the cleaning :action of said `saw cylinder comprising a -mote discharging conduit having an entrant .end adjacent .to and "presented toward said saw cylinder, means for applying suction to said conduit to-draw in motes and trash ,from the lint on said saw cylinder, and a rotary brush .mounted substantially within said conduit .and substantially closing its entrant opening, means for rotating. said brush, said brush having radially extending .bristles thereon posi- .tioned so that their ends substantailly contact the teeth on said cylinder to comb the lint thereon and having mote and .trash receiving pockets between said .bristles which are presented alternately toward .said cylinder and said conduit as .said brush rotates, .the .suction in said conduit acting through .said brush to draw the motes combed from said cylinder into .the pockets when they .are presented toward said cylinder and acting directly on the motes in said pockets to remove the inotes when the pockets ,are presented toward said conduit,

4. .A construction in accordance with claim 3 wherein one .of the walls of said entrant opening .which extends parallel to the axis of said a .brush is relatively adjustable vfrom .and .toward .saidbrush to provide .an unobstructed regulated opening jfor application of intense suction between said wall .and the ends of said bristles.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 3 wherein said brush and the walls of said entrant opening are adjustable from and toward said cylinder.

6. Apparatus for removing motes .from lint which has been .ginned from seed cotton, comprising a frame, a .cylinder mounted .for .rotation .on said framehaving a plurality of closely spaced Vteeth thereon, said teeth being adapted to engage .the lint vand to carry the same around the periphery `of said cylinder, means for rotating .said

cylinder, means `.adjacent the lperiphery -of said cylinder for removing the lint therefrom for delivery to a lint duct, a mote discharge conduit having an entrantopening presentedtoward the periphery of said cylinder and which is located, with respect to the Ydirection of rotation of said cylinder, in advance of .said lint removing means, means for applying suction tosaid conduit to move motes discharged from the lint therethrough, a mote removing :and discharging `.brush mounted in said frame vin the entrant opening to said conduit, said brush comprising a shaft mounted for rotation on said .frame and .a plurality of bristles extending radially outwardly therefrom, said bristles being spaced about said shaft to vprovide pockets which are open at their outer ends and which `extend substantially continuously throughout the length of said shaft, and means for rotating said shaft, said bristles being sospaced as .to permit a relatively mild draft to pass through said brush to draw metes into the pockets thereof .as they move past the .periphery of said cylinder, the motes 'being drawn from said pockets when the latter are rotated through and directed toward the .open .end oi said conduit.

JOHN A. STREUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references .are of record .in the le of this patent:

UNITED 'STATES vPATENIS Number Name Date 3,568 Sherard Apr. 30, 1844 403,973 Swann May 28, 1889 991,876 Murray May 9, 1:911 1,087,831 Rozier 'Feb. 17, 1914 2,174,143 Streun Sept. 26, '1939 2,204,803 Griin June 18, 1940 

